


Free-Lancer

by thecrimsongiraffe



Category: Original Work
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Canon Character of Color, Drama, Magitech, Multi, Strong Female Characters, Urban Fantasy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-14
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:00:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27565672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thecrimsongiraffe/pseuds/thecrimsongiraffe
Summary: In the magic world, the rules are simple: swear loyalty to a King and everything becomes simple.Refuse, and become a Free-Lancer? That’s when your life becomes much, much harder.Updates monthly!





	1. Chapter 1

### Prologue: Izumi

* * *

**Location: Scarlet Tower, SunBurst City**

**Time: 12:17 a.m.**

The penthouse definitely had the best view, in Izumi's opinion at least.

The glass-floored balcony made it seem as if he was floating above the metropolis, the lights twinkling like stars under his feet. From the top floor of its tallest building, the city appeared like a toy model and he was standing above them all.

The noise wasn't too bad, being up high lessened the clamour, and actually made it pleasant. Some days, he liked sitting on the balcony, observing the day-to-day routines of the people below.

If he had to name one of the perks of his job, this would be number one.

Izumi laughed to himself. For an occupation such as his, naturally the pay would be far higher than most jobs.

He hadn't been born into wealth, though his parents had certainly earned their money when they traded him away.

Under different circumstances, he wouldn't have afforded a night's rent at this penthouse, much less ownership. His sleek sports car resting in his private garage below would have been but a distant dream. A normal job would have, at best, allowed him to buy a tyre at a blowout sale.

Not forgetting his private swimming pool and gym; the gourmet meals prepared exactly to his tastes; the expensive vacations to some of the most surreal paradises in the world; and the respect that followed him wherever he went, thanks to the amounts he deposited into his bank accounts.

His social life?

Well, he could have anyone he wanted, could probably get into any social event if he just asked. He had good looks, knew how to excite them with his personality and charm, and to top it all off, he was practically rolling around in gold.

What idiot would turn him down?

Which was why Izumi never tried. This lifestyle, this image he projected, felt so superficial, that he couldn't bring himself to make it even more plastic. He didn't need to be surrounded by crowds who only saw how much his car cost and his bank statements.

What he truly wanted, what he truly craved, was something real.

People who weren’t out to use him, who saw him beyond the benefits he could offer them.

But the price he paid for all this, included his one wish.

He could never let anyone close or attempt to get close to anyone. His hands would never comfort or caress, only hurt. That was the path he had always known, the path he was bound to forever.

He would always be alone.

A familiar ringtone broke through the silence, the one reserved for a special caller.

Sliding his finger over the touch screen to answer the call, he opted to put it on loudspeaker, too lazy to hold the phone up to his face.

"Evening, Sir," he said politely, lying down in an utterly impolite manner. "How may your humble servant serve you this evening?"

"Impeccable as always," the man on the other end said approvingly. "That's why you're the best, Izumi."

Izumi smiled to himself. "Thank you, Sir, but I am only doing my duty as one of your subjects."

There was silence, which meant his master was satisfied with Izumi's conduct.

Izumi could almost see the grin on his face, as his master said, "Tell me, my favorite assassin, how long do you need to prepare for another kill?"

Everything in this world has its price.

Some paid with their hearts, some paid with their bodies, some with their lives. Izumi's price was easy; a life, every time his master ordered it. In return, he received the immense wealth that gave him everything his heart desired. Well, almost everything.

Yet, as he heard the name his master spoke of that night, for the first time, Izumi wasn't quite sure how willing he was to pay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooo Izumi, very ~mystewious~ :3
> 
> Thanks for reading ^^


	2. Chapter 2

### Chapter 1: High Scorer

* * *

**LAW OF MAGES**

**(i) The powers of the elements, of inner strength, of acceleration, and of regeneration shall be divided equally amongst the Seven Chosen Kings.**

**(ii) Any Mage, if proven worthy, is allowed to learn of these powers with and only with the permission of the Kings.**

**(iii) Mages who swear fealty to a King are henceforth banned from learning the powers of any other King. Acts of treason or betrayal of oath is punishable according to their King's will.**

**(iv) All Mages are allowed freedom of swearing fealty, and shall be known as 'Citizen'.**

**(v) Mages who wish to retain freedom of fealty, yet desire the Kings' powers, are allowed to do so with the title 'Free-Lancer'.**

**(vi) Free-Lancers are neither allowed a permanent residence in any of the Kings' capitals, nor the precise location of the capitals.**

**(vii) However, Free-Lancers are to be treated otherwise as of equal status with Citizens, unless they be transgressors of peace.**

* * *

“One more.”

The shopkeeper looked up at the girl, the one who had been putting coins on his counter for the past two hours, and couldn’t help wondering if she wasn’t sick of this mini-Game yet. Just looking at the hill of potions, the consolation prizes, in her arms made him feel a little queasy.

Well, Free-Lancers were an odd bunch and despite how young she looked, she probably wasn’t much different.

“Sure, kid.”

“Thanks!” She uncorked two potions and downed them.

Wow, how many was that now? She took one before every game and yeah, they were refreshing, but how was she keeping all that magic liquid down?

“Good luck out there,” he mumbled. Just this once, while his booth was empty and there weren’t a lotta people milling around.

She doubled back, blinking at him like she was checking to see if she heard right, before giving a big dumb smile. “Thanks, mister!” she said, and skipped off into the mini-Game’s entrance.

He sighed, turning to the monitor and keyboard at his side. He typed up the usual commands and leaned into the microphone.

“Name?”

She grinned at the glittering barricade in front of her, the one about to disappear to let her in. “Luna!”

“Are you ready, kid?”

“You know it!”

The barricade disappeared and Luna leapt into the main stage of Hitman’s Run.

It looked like a jungle gym with its bright colours and the large styrofoam cylinders protruding from the ground, and was roughly the size of a small one. At the other end of the room was a lifeless puppet in an alcove, its head hanging down and a firearm at its side.

As the old man at the counter said, rules were simple: the puppet, the ‘hitman’ of the game, would try to shoot you down. Land a hit on him before he hits you and you win.

“Rain Flash?” She glanced at the silver spear in her hand.

 _ <<All set, mistress. Let us begin>>, _ her weapon replied in her mind.

Yeah, they could do this. Sure, this was like the fifteenth, twentieth-something time, but Luna was feeling good about this one. This round would be their win.

The mini-Game’s music started up, cute and rinky dink. Luna’s eyes stayed glued to the puppet, watching the automation load its gun and––

“Now!” Luna sprinted across the room, as the sound of the first shot echoed.

_ <<Watch out, 3 o’clock!>> _

Luna swerved, narrowly missing two, and ducking to avoid one. She pressed her back against a cylinder, steeling herself for her next move. “Rain Flash, Command: Reaction Boost.”

_ <<Reaction Boost spell activated. Reaction time increased by 80%. Estimated time: 15 seconds>> _

15 seconds, she could make it. Yeah, she could, she’d been really close last time, it’d be different this time.

“Ooops!” Luna exclaimed, twisting and spinning around to avoid another round of bullets. Easier this time since they were slower, well slower to her eyes anyway, thanks to the spell.

“Commad: Fleetfoot!”

 _ <<Maximum spell capacity approaching>>, _ Rain Flash reminded her as the spell activated.

“Got it.”

Fleetfoot and Reaction Boost weren’t meant to last long anyway. It was time to end this.

Luna sprinted forward, covering twice as much distance than before. Dodging the magical bullets, she raised Rain Flash, trying to aim its tip at the puppet.

“Command: Sonic Crash!”

Luna was almost thrown back by the recoil as a burst of magical energy fizzled into the air, before reforming into a single blast of crackling power, hurtling towards the puppet.

There was an audible crack as the attack made impact, and the puppet’s head came clean off, landing at Luna’s feet.

“WOOHOO!!” She jumped up and down, raising Rain Flash up. “WE DID IT!”

_ <<Mistress, if I may interrupt––>> _

“Kid.”

Luna turned to the now-open exit next to the puppet, where the old man from the counter was now standing, looking over the damage. He pointed to her stomach, and she looked down.

There, unmistakably, was a tiny splotch of red on her black sweater, what happened when the magical bullets made impact.

“I didn’t… win?”

“Sorry, kid, not this time. But uh good try. Maybe next time?”

Luna nodded numbly. The old man said something else, maybe. As she passed through the exit, she held her hand out and the dispenser popped out, surprise surprise, another healing potion.

She pocketed them, or she would have if her pouch wasn’t already full, and made her way outside.

* * *

The place was Sunburst City, the time was now, and Luna was a single black dot in a sea of fuchsias, maroons, crimsons, and of course, the colour of the city’s ruler, scarlet.

She glared at the crowd before her. Nothing like a Mage city to make you feel tiny and utterly alone.

In this world, magic had been everywhere at some point, then there was less, then even less and now it was confined to seven rulers and their moving little island kingdoms.

As per the Law of Mages, the Kings were each granted a particular affinity. And as part of their obligation, they were required to share their magic with whoever could prove themselves worthy.

But honestly why go through all the trouble?

Why spend days, weeks even, trying to learn healing when you could just make a doctor’s appointment in two minutes, or better yet just search it up and see if the solution was available at the nearest convenience store? Why attempt to fight a dragon when you could buy a cigarette lighter to start a fire or heat your food in a microwave?

Anyone could learn magic, that was no secret, it’s just no one ever wanted to.

Technology had flourished and advanced during the absence of magic. Hardly any of the population cared or took notice of the Kings or their cities or magic much anymore. They’d be on the news once in a while, like a Loch Ness monster sighting but far far less exciting.

It was understandable for Citizens to stay. Their grandparents and their grandparents before that and the ones before that had all sworn fealty to their ruler and stayed on the island. They could trace centuries of family history within their own homes.

And then there were Free-Lancers.

The Kings didn’t like Free-Lancers. They couldn’t be controlled yet they could go in and out of cities as they pleased, using the Four Corner trains like any regular Citizen.

Citizens didn’t like Free-Lancers. They didn’t follow the mandated color scheme, dressing all weird; they flitted from city to city, sucking up all the magic they could get their hands on like the greedy little bugs they were. They flaunted their lack of loyalty by showing up to Kings’ trials and receiving magic. They were a disgrace.

And Prosaics, normies, whatever you called them, were vaguely aware of the Kings, and the whole swearing loyalty business, but beyond that had little clue about any of the goings-on of the magic world. Freelancer was a job description, not a title.

Free-Lancers? Well sometimes they didn’t like other Free-Lancers but mostly they just didn’t like everyone else.

Luna was no exception. People were generally insufferable but she would take the worst of normies to any of the red-clad Citizens living their idyllic lives on the Scarlet Isle, particularly those in the throng of people pushing and shoving past each other just a little ways in front of her.

She would rather brave school than this.

But she needed to head back to her nightmare of a hotel––since none of the good ones ever wanted to let Free-Lancers in––and find somewhere to stash these potions.

Maybe she could convince her mentor to try looking again for a nicer place too.

Grumbling under her breath, she stepped into the crowd. 

* * *

Like all other Mage cities, SunBurst had its own mini-Game district, a series of more relaxed and fun magical trials compared to the main one held by the Scarlet Count, with much lower stakes and the occasional fancy prize.

Certain mini-Games had leaderboards displayed outside, and all five spots on Hitman’s Run flashed with the same name:

**Ishikawa.**

The guy himself? Well he was a little, odd.

For one, no one, not even the manager, knew his name or where he came from, despite Ishikawa calling in every other week or so. For another, people didn’t usually dare to strike up casual conversation with him.

It wasn’t that he looked particularly scary, he could be described as good-looking by some, with his dark hair and soft grey eyes and kind smile. Yet somehow he always managed to keep a comfortable berth between him and everyone else.

Which was why it came as a surprise when a rushing figure collided with him.

Potion vials were sent flying into the air and he caught several colourful curse words spouting from the perpetrator.

“Sorry, sorry,” the person said, almost sounding like they were grumbling.

“Not at all.” He crouched down to help them, and grey met brown.

It was a girl, maybe his age or a little older, with russet skin and brown hair. She was wearing black, grey, white, colours that couldn’t tie her back to any loyalty. A wrapped staff was strapped to her back, but he expected there to be more hidden on her person.

“No, wait!” she cried out, launching herself forward towards a stray potion.

Squeaks and snorts of displeasure could be heard as this wriggly Free-Lancer continued her chase through the crowd. Ishikawa gathered the other potions in her arms, following her closely.

At last, the vial rolled to a stop against a fountain in a deserted square.

“Ah hah!” she exclaimed, holding it up triumphantly.

Ishikawa stifled a giggle, clapping politely.

The girl ducked her head, looking embarrassed. She was smaller than he expected, shorter than him, and soft around the edges.

He silently handed over the potions.

“Oh uh thanks. I know they’re just consolation prizes, but it seems a waste to let them get stomped.”

“Good point, miss?”

“Tyrian, Luna Tyrian.” She extended a hand. “Just Luna is fine. Nice to meet you, stranger.”

“Um, Ishikawa. Nice to meet you too.”

Her eyes widened. “Ishikawa? The same one from Hitman’s Run?”

He chuckled. “You’ve seen the leaderboard.”

“Of course, I’ve been at that mini-Game all day! I can’t believe anyone can hit that stupid puppet, and here you are, dominating the whole thing.”

“Please, anyone can do it.”

Luna rolled her eyes. “And yet no one among the dozens of people playing everyday could come even close to your level.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“Yeah, you must be an awesome shot.”

“Why were you trying so hard to win? Trying to get a Spirit sword or dragon scale armour? An even rarer prize maybe?” Hitman’s Run was best known for their incredible catalogue of rewards, a big reason behind their popularity.

“Nah, but those sound cool.” She touched her staff. “I wanted a weapon upgrade, to make mine a firearm type.”

A basic firearm frame. Less exciting but also much cheaper winning it at a mini-Game than hundreds of gold coins at a store.

She was staring intently at him now.

“W-what’s wrong?” he asked.

“Ishikawa, I know I’ve troubled you a fair bit already, but could I ask for one more teeeensy little favour?” She batted her eyelashes and he giggled.

“Sure, Luna.” How nicely her name rolled off the tongue.

“Will you be my teacher?” 

* * *

It was as if the fates had sent her a divine miracle; to actually meet the high scorer of that aggravating mini-Game was one thing, but to be able to _train_ with him?

She would win next time, she was sure of it.

"We'll practice here," he said, gesturing to the empty square. "It's about the same size, and people don’t come here that much in the afternoon.”

She nodded.

Then, from out of nowhere, he drew out a shotgun. "This is similar to what the gunman uses, only with higher firing power. Slightly trickier than what you'll be facing."

He was full of surprises. She liked that.

“Bring it,” she said. She unravelled the cloth that bound her weapon and it disappeared to reveal her pride and joy.

"Speed-type?" Ishikawa asked, staring at it in approval.

“Won it at the Indigo King’s myself.” It was a beautiful thing, her spear; a light yet solid staff, supporting the long diamond tip. A delicately cut indigo jewel rested in the centre, flashing rainbows and lightning streaks. “Meet Rain Flash.”

_ <<Greetings>> _

Ishikawa whistled. “A Spirit weapon from a King’s trial. Lucky duck. ”

“Luck had nothing to do with it. I got Rain Flash with my own two hands–“ She pointed her spear at him, “–just like how I’m going to beat you and get that firearm program.”

His returning smile was cheeky. “You know I can’t give you the program, right?”

“Whatever. Start already.”

A bullet whizzed past her ear, and she blinked at him, momentarily stunned. Lucky it was just magic and not actual metal.

“You said to start.”

“I did.” She grinned. “Rain Flash, Command: Lightning Step.”

She was beside him in an instant, swinging Rain Flash down on him.

Except he dodged her blow, one hand grabbing onto Rain Flash’s staff and using the momentum to send her tumbling. By the time she glanced up, his gun was already fixed on her.

Damn, he was good.

He offered his hand to help her up. She swiped a potion from her pouch––Lightning Step had left her more drained than she liked–– before taking his hand and getting back on her feet.

“Why would you try to attack a gunman at close range?”

“It’s what I’m good at.”

“Rain Flash is a spear. You could put more distance, use long-range energy blasts to get the hitman.”

“I tried! But he always hits me first.” Like the last time.

“Were you using one big blast?”

“What else would I use?”

He covered his mouth but Luna caught sight of the way his lips twitched.

“Don’t laugh!” she said, elbowing him.

“Pfft, sorry. You’re just, that seems so like you, to finish things with a bang. But there’s smarter ways to do it.”

An orb of magical energy, soft pink like a sunset, appeared beside his head. Another appeared, then another and another. Without lifting his hands, the orbs began juggling themselves, spinning and twirling.

“One big concentrated attack takes more time to power up and actually hit. Smaller ones are weaker, but they’re much faster and easier to control. You should try it.”

“Uhhh to tell you the truth,” Luna gave him a sheepish smile, “I’m kinda new to magic. I didn’t even know people could do that.”

He frowned, staring at her in disbelief. “How did you pass the Indigo King’s tournament then? You didn’t even have a Spirit weapon helping you out!”

She shrugged. “I’m just that good?”

“You’re full of surprises, Luna.”

“I could say the same for you, Ishikawa.”

He put away his gun. “Here, I’ll show you how to make one. Can you control it–no what am I saying, OK we’ll work on that too…”

Over the next few hours, instead of sparring, sprinting and striking, Luna found herself practicing creating these tiny blobs of magic and moving them around.

This required a lot more focus than she was used to; usually vaguely pinpointing a target and unleashing all she had did the trick.

To maintain the orbs, she had to concentrate on their presence lest she accidentally caused them to disappear. On top of that, she also had to expand energy into actually getting them to move the way she wanted.

Ishikawa explained that adding on details helped increase control, like the speed, the angle of impact, the accuracy. Maybe he had some kind of special magic to keep track of all those things. Luna’s own mentor had addressed magic much differently, relying on battle instinct and power.

Soon the sky turned the same pink as Ishikawa’s orbs, and by then Luna could already direct them into attacks. Sure, her punch would be harder, but it was something.

“You should head back soon,” he told Luna. “I don’t think the city is too safe after dark.”

Especially not for a Free-Lancer was probably what he meant.

“Last one. A real fight this time.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah.” She popped the stopper of another vial, pouring it down her throat.

“How many have you had?”

“Enough to keep me going.”

“Get to a doctor if your stomach starts acting up.”

“Yeah, yeah, c’mon already, Ishikawa.”

He took out his gun and reloaded the cartridge. “Let’s go!”

Luna lunged forward, no spells this time, just a mad dash. As Ishikawa aimed, she used Rain Flash to slide across the floor, summoning as many orbs as she could.

Just in time; a shot fired, blocked by an orb above her head.

Immediately, Luna gestured downwards and the orbs started raining down on Ishikawa.

He gave her a cool smile. “Nice try.”

In a flurry of shots, each orb broke apart one by one.

But that was the point.

Activating Reaction Boost, she raced towards him as he destroyed the final orb. His eyes widened at the sight of her and he moved to take aim, but she was faster.

Before he could take the shot, she leapt forward, and slashed Rain Flash across his chest.

They both stood there for several seconds, their breaths loud to Luna's ears.

She glanced up, meeting his eyes, a smile spreading on her face. “So…”

“I admit defeat. Congrats, Luna.”

He was barely grazed––compared to her anyway––but the rip across the front of his shirt confirmed it.

Luna had won against the high scorer of Hitman himself.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big deal, Luna, it's just Ishikawa 
> 
> So that wraps up the first chapter! Plus a lil doodle of these two kids taking a post-victory selfie (Ishikawa's a lil nervous since it's his first time taking one with a friend ^^)
> 
> Thanks for sticking this far :> Next time, Luna and Ishikawa go for a swim...with feelings?? 0.0


	3. Chapter 3

### Chapter 2: Taking Shelter

* * *

After resting for a couple more minutes, on Ishikawa’s suggestion, the two made a mad dash in the direction of the mini-Game district, racing to beat the clock before closing time.

At the sight of the two of them, the manager’s jaw had immediately dropped, his mouth open in a perfect ‘O’, while Luna slapped her coins on the counter. He’d gotten over it since Luna had entered the game but he still shot Ishikawa furtive glances.

“She’s a friend,” he replied, smiling politely.

The manager fumbled with his microphone in response, hastily going back to overseeing Luna’s game.

It was probably a surprise to see a Citizen associate so readily with a Free-Lancer, but Luna made it awfully easy. It felt like they’d known each other for ages rather than just a few hours ago.

Ishikawa craned his neck to see the manager’s little monitor, to no avail. He cast a glance at the  _ ‘Out Of Service’ _ sign on the big screen, the one that should be showing Luna’s exploits in the game. All he could do now was wait it seemed.

The manager’s eyes seemed glued to the screen, like he was watching a live broadcast of a King’s trial. That warmed Ishikawa’s heart.

At the end when the manager shouted “YES” and quickly covered his mouth, Ishikawa couldn’t help but chuckle to himself.

The exit opened and Luna walked in with the brightest smile he’d ever seen.

“‘Grats, kid!” The manager cleared his throat, looking a little embarrassed. “Good going out there,” he said in a much quieter voice. “Here you go, ten tokens. Choose what you like.”

The prize dispenser was right beside the door, a small vending machine embedded into the wall, where the prize would drop into a rectangle space, much like a soda can. Above the rectangle was a holographic touchscreen showing their various rewards.

A hundred tokens for the one or two rare items they had like Spirit guns or a real dragon tooth.

_ How did they get that? _ Ishikawa wondered, staring at the picture on-screen.

Luna quickly swiped those icons away, stopping when she’d found her goal. A basic firearm frame, with a little banner that read  _ ‘Special Extra Included!’ _ . The price tag showed 10 tokens.

“This one.”

The manager nodded. “Go ahead and put your tokens in.”

She slid all ten in, bouncing on the balls of her feet, and tapped the frame. Instead of an item, a little slip of paper dropped into the dispenser

“Huh?” Luna said.

“It’s a receipt,” Ishikawa said, stepping closer to her.

“I’ll take that.” The manager stretched his hand out and Luna slowly placed the paper on his palm. He typed on the monitor and the counter shimmered, before a firearm installation kit appeared.

Luna gasped. “That is so cool.”

The manager looked a little proud, as he handed the kit to her. “And a little extra.” He pressed something into her hand.

She looked from her palm to him and looked like she might cry. “Thank you!”

“No problem. Don’t be a stranger now, Luna, er, Ishikawa, you too.”

Ishikawa raised his eyebrows for a heartbeat before putting on a more gracious expression. “Thanks. We will.”

“Good night, mister,” Luna sang, waving as they left.

The outside air was peaceful and still. Most of the mini-Games were packing up shop for the night and people were retreating into their homes.

“That was amazing!” Luna, a few steps ahead, spun around so she was facing him. “It wasn’t exactly like practice, but I deflected the bullets with the magic orbs. Then smack! Right in the tummy, where he got me last time.”

“It must have been spectacular. I wish I could have seen it.”

“Awww you didn’t? Well we had our training session and that was way more fun. We should do it again sometime.”

“We should…” His voice trailed off.

When? Luna was a Free-Lancer, she didn’t have any ties to SunBurst or the Scarlet Isle. Besides, the Scarlet Count loathed Free-Lancers, or perhaps more accurately, he was a little too fond of toying with them. Even if she didn’t know now, sooner or later, she would realise she wasn’t safe here.

“Luna, do you want to um go somewhere for a drink?”

She frowned. “I’m a minor, Ishikawa.”

He couldn’t help his laugh. “Don’t worry, I am too. I meant coffee or horchata or…something. The stuff here isn’t as good as the Aureolin Isle, but I know a nice place.”

Oh he was rambling. What was he even saying? Who cared how nice horchata in SunBurst was compared to in Aureolin?

“That does sound nice. I mean it’s not too late, I could stay a bit longer.”

“I would like that very much.”

And he realised what that sounded like, as the world around him was plunged into water. 

* * *

Luna was dreaming, she was sure of it. She was underwater, and she was breathing just fine.

_ This isn’t a dream, Lunamarie. _

She opened her eyes. Before her was a house of mirrors, except everything was submerged.

Her hair and her clothes floated and bobbed with the water like she was wading in a swimming pool. Bubbles puffed out with each exhale and her step was a bouncier than usual.

A spell?

But this was an illusion spell, a water spell. This wasn’t the Scarlet Count’s domain. Why would someone from the Aquamarine Sovereign be here, and after Luna?

_ What if it’s not me? _

What if it was Ishikawa? Sonya even?

Luna picked up the pace. She had to find a way out of here, her friends could be in danger. “Rain Flash?”

_ <<Yes, mistress?>> _ answered the silver pendant at the end of her necklace.

She was sure Rain Flash had been on her back when she exited the mini-Game; it must have switched to its dormant form during the sudden transition to wherever this was. Well, they were still together at least.

“Rain Flash, can you track Ishikawa? Or detect if anyone else is here?”

_ <<My sensors are currently disrupted. However, I may be able to pinpoint the exit while we survey the area>> _

“So we gotta go deeper in, huh?” Well getting out of here seemed a better choice than waiting around for an attack. She clutched the pendant. “By the contract between my soul and yours, reveal to me your true form, Rain Flash. By my command, unlock!”

_ <<User request recognised. System now active, entering default form>> _

In a burst of light, the pendant turned into a long slim spear which Luna deftly caught in her hand. She gripped the staff tightly; it was much reassuring having Rain Flash in this form.

Unfortunately, it didn’t make the hallway any less eerie.

Her bobbing reflection was bluish and wraithlike, the steps not quite touching the ground. Even her dark skin had a pale tint, like a coat of pasty sickness, her hair all white and shiny––

She paused, before gazing into the mirror, her nose almost pressed against the glass. That wasn’t the illusion, that was her actual hair colour. And her eyes, brilliant purple shone back instead of the lovely umber she usually wore.

Had the spell broken her glamour? Or was showing her true colours part of the magic?

_ “Why are you here?” _

She blinked at the reflection, except it wasn’t her reflection staring back anymore. Her hair was a little longer, and this version wore the same clothes as the day she’d met Sonya.

And for a moment, that memory flashed in the mirror, Luna at the counter of the comic book shop, Sonya staggering in, looking as though she’d seen Death themself and socked them in the face.

Luna stumbled back, her rear slamming into a mirror behind her.

_ “Why can’t you fit in?” _

A crowd of children, playing together, laughing happily. Then a scream and everyone stopped, terrified, tired. In the centre was a little girl shaking and shrieking uncontrollably, her voice echoing throughout the house. A teacher arrived to drag her away to a room, for quiet time.

“Stop!” Luna scrunched her eyes shut tight, and started running. But once every so often, she would open her eyes, just a bit, just a fraction too long, and the images dancing on the mirrors would flash in her mind.

_ “Why are you always alone?” _

Luna in her current class, the seat right next to the corridor. People always passing by, greeting each other, giggling and laughing together, loud, happy, while she was by herself.

_ “Why can’t you be happy?” _

Luna on her birthday, humming quietly so as to not wake anyone, a sorry cupcake in her little hand. A blank notebook, for school, was her only gift and the next day she would be scolded for eating sweets in bed.

_ “Who are you?” _

Luna in a room with other children, smaller than she ever remembered, her silver hair and purple eyes unglamoured and obvious.

And then, for once, Luna with other people, with friends, chatting, spending time together. Then, he came.

“I don’t need to see that! I don’t want to see that!”

She sprinted down the corridor, even as she caught the glimmer of gold and the twinkle of blue in the corner of her eye. The mirrors were showing his image, she knew it, she just knew it.

Luna shut her eyes and threw herself forward, smacking into a solid dead end. Her eyes flew open and her heart dropped.

There he was, prettier and more terrible than she had ever remembered. Those beautiful features, that perfect golden hair and his mesmerising sapphire eyes like the most precious gems in the world. He must have been the prettiest person in the world, she’d once thought.

“Luna~” His voice was as lovely and enchanting as ever, but to her, it was like nails scraping over the raw pieces of her heart.

“GO AWAY! GO AWAY!”

_ <<Mistress, I have detected the exit. It is behind this space>> _

She swallowed, backing away, trying to keep her eyes from meeting that accursed blue. “W-what do I h-have to, to do, Rain Flash?”

_ <<Please break through this image. It will allow us to leave>> _

“Right.” She held up her weapon, and she found herself staring directly at him. Trembling, she lifted up her spear, taking aim. “R-Rain Flash, Command: Thun–thunderclap Strike.”

The tip of the blade crackled with magic and Luna thrusted her weapon forward, unleashing a bolt of pure energy.

The mirror wobbled, cracks appearing right in the centre of his face. They began spreading across the surface, like spindly fingers, and  _ he _ gave her one last sickeningly sweet smile as the glass shattered, leaving a pitch dark abyss.

From what seemed like a mile away, she heard a ringing sound and glass breaking, and someone calling her name.

“Luna!”

“Ishikawa!”

Without any hesitation, Luna plunged forward into the endless darkness. 

* * *

They were in the middle of a storm, and an intense one at that. Raindrops thundered down in such a thick sheet it could have been mistaken for fog, and the wind whipped through like it was trying to separate Ishikawa’s face from his head.

He blinked, once, twice. Not a dream. He breathed a sigh of relief and shook his head, trying to get the water out of his ears.

He hadn’t been expecting that. Why had a maze spell suddenly appeared in the centre of SunBurst, the city of fire of all places?

“Ishikawa, over here!” Looking up, Luna was heading towards him, Rain Flash in one hand, her kit under her other arm. But wait, her hair… It was, silver? And as she came closer, he saw her eyes were a deep amethyst rather than the comforting brown he was used to.

What was going on?

“Luna?”

“You OK? Man this storm is something. Lucky the kit’s waterproof, I was terrified it would malfunction with all this rain.”

He sneezed.

Luna stared at him. “That was adorable.”

He sneezed again.

“Awwww, just like a widdle kitty.”

“ _ Luna _ .”

“Sorry. Hey, do you know anywhere we take shelter in? Maybe dry off? I don’t think it’s gonna let up anytime soon.”

Thunderstorms were a natural product of powerful water spells being broken, and this one indicated the caster wasn’t one to be trifled with.

He paused. In the distance, if he squinted, he could make out a blurry figure quietly watching them.

No point chasing them in this rain, especially if it was a caster. This much rain would only benefit someone of water, and this area was too devoid of people. A crowd meant less likely chance of a serious confrontation or a killer acting openly.

“I know a place, just a few blocks down,” he said, turning Luna away from the stranger. “Mine.” 

* * *

Ishikawa’s place hadn’t sounded like a bad idea.

Now, standing in front of his building, in front of the plush welcome carpet, the sleek tiles and gorgeous lobby furniture, it felt like all kinds of bad.

For one, Luna was a Free-Lancer, something Ishikawa clearly forgot when he brought her to what was probably the fancy district of SunBurst.

Second, if they hadn’t been soaked earlier, they were very much so now. Water dripped noisily off every inch of Luna, her clothes, her hair, her nose. Her boots made a squishy sloshing sound with every move she took, spurting tiny jets of water here and there.

It was like she had brought a little rainstorm indoors, or become one. Luna was pretty sure posh types didn’t like people getting rain and mud inside their fancy buildings.

“Hey, you sure it’s OK for me to go in like this?” She gestured to her general appearance.

“Perfectly fine.” Ishikawa slicked back his dark hair. He motioned for her to follow him through the automatic doors into the lobby of his building.

And somehow it was.

The security guard let both of them in without any hesitation, though Luna could have sworn she peeked at Rain Flash, resting in Luna’s hand. But with one of Ishikawa’s smiles, the guard simply wished them a good night and returned to her post.

Even the receptionists were quiet while Luna and Ishikawa trudged through the lobby, simply smiling back when she glanced their way.

Once they were both in the elevator and the doors had slid shut behind them, Luna leaned against the railing, giving him a full-body once over as Ishikawa swiped his card in a practiced motion.

“What is it?” he asked, friendly and normal. As if this was normal.

“Sooo you’re someone important huh?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh c’mon, Ishikawa, don’t play dumb.”

“Whatever do you mean?”

She groaned. “Seriously? You’re gonna treat me like this?”

“Luna, please, I’m not anyone particularly noteworthy. I mean it. My relatives set me up here so here I stay.”

“In the nicest place in SunBurst? With literally the entire staff waiting on you?” She smacked her forehead. “Oh why didn’t I see it before? You’re the son of the Scarlet Count.”

“What?” He stared at her in disbelief. “How did you come to that conclusion?”

“You’re not denying it!”

“I’m not the son of the Scarlet Count, nor am I related to him in any way.”

“Darn. You sure you’re not his nephew, cousin, something?”

“No, definitely not. Trust me, my parents would be absolutely thrilled if we shared even half an ancestor between us.” He paused. “What would you have done if I was?”

His tone sounded, off. She glanced at him but his face was impenetrable, only showing cool composure.

She shrugged. “Asked you to show me around some more? If you’re around, I don’t have to worry about people arresting me and stuff, and I don’t have to worry about getting you into trouble. I think.”

The way he acted, it was as if nothing could touch him. Not the shopkeeper back in Hitman’s Run, not any of the staff here. Ishikawa wasn’t boastful or forceful, but no one could push him or scare him, not if he had anything to say about it.

“Just that? Walking around? Anybody could do that.”

“You keep saying that. But no normal Citizen would walk around with an armed Free-Lancer, yet here you are being my friend.”

“Friend eh?”

“Uhh yeah if you’re cool with it…”

“I am. Thanks, Luna.”

“Why? I should be the one thanking you for everything. Hey, you aren’t gonna get into trouble because of me, are you? With your parents or anything.”

“Nope, don’t worry.” He laughed, seeing her worried expression. “Seriously, Luna, it’s OK. I want to hang out with you and if there’s any trouble because of that, I can handle it.”

That didn’t sound very reassuring.

“Honestly, I don’t think anyone would mind who I chose to spend time with for a day or two. Or more.”

“Are you asking me to come back?”

“If you’d like.” A little  _ ‘ting’ _ sound came from the elevator, indicating they had arrived.

“I’ll give you my number.” Luna took out her phone and he handed his over, contacts already open. While Ishikawa guided her by the elbow, she typed in both their numbers and tried calling them. Perfect.

Her phone buzzed and a little notification popped up, from her mentor.

Ooops, Luna had forgotten about her. She hastily typed out a message, as Ishikawa announced, “We’re here.”

“Cool,” she said, reading over her message. There was a beep from his card being swiped and a click of the door opening, and Luna finally pressed send.

Nodding to herself, she looked up at Ishikawa, holding his phone out for him to take, and her jaw dropped.

“It’s huge!” she said, kicking off her shoes. She ran into the living room–which was probably the size of her own apartment–and gaped at the high ceilings. She turned back to Ishikawa. “You have a second floor??”

He was bending over to pick up her shoes, his own already off and in one hand.

“Ah wait, let me do that.” Stupid her, to just throw her stuff around like it was her own place.

“No worries.” The wall panel slid open to reveal a shoe closet.

“Whaaaat. That is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.”

“It’s pretty nifty,” he said, placing their shoes. “Wait until you see the rest.”

Luna wished she could be a little more composed, but every time he showed her something, it would be “Wow!” “Whoa!” and exclamations more or less along that line.

He had a beautiful kitchen, gleaming pots and pans lined up, and a fridge with its own ice and sorbet maker. The living room sofas were a dream to lie down on, while looking up at the huge holographic screen that was his TV and, and––

“You have a washing machine and dryer?? In your house???” Luna had to go to a shared laundromat in her building to do laundry. “Are you sure you’re not Scarlet royalty or something?”

“I think your threshold for being impressed is just too low. Anybody could––“

“If you keep saying that, you have to treat me to something that ‘anybody’ could have.”

Ishikawa laughed. “I wouldn’t mind but alright, I’ll stop.”

He sneezed, and so did she.

“We should probably get out of these clothes before we catch a real cold.”

Luna nodded, and they made their way upstairs.

The second floor held Ishikawa’s room, his study and a guest room.

“There’s towels in the bathroom if I’m not mistaken. I’m sorry, I haven’t had anyone over in a while.”

“It’s cool. I’ll holler if there aren’t any.”

“Do you mind borrowing some of my clothes to wear while I wash yours?”

“Huh? Wait, you don’t have to––“

“I’m going to wash mine too, might as well put all of them in one load.” He batted his eyelashes.

“Okayyy then,” Luna said, rolling her eyes, in an affectionate sort of way. “Do you like doing stuff for other people or just chores?”

He chuckled. “A little of both, but I value efficiency above all. Leave them outside the bathroom, I’ll pick it up.”

The guest door shut behind him, leaving Luna all alone.

She shook her head, Ishikawa was really too nice. He’d better be more careful or else someone would take advantage of him one of these days. 

* * *

A warm shower later, Luna exited the bathroom to find a towel and clothes on the bed.

“I didn’t even holler,” she laughed. Typical Ishikawa.

It was a loose white shirt and sweatpants. They looked strangely clean for these kind of clothes, but maybe it was just Luna. If these had been hers, there would have been sure to be stains, maybe a little rip or some fraying threads. The white shirt was, actually white instead of yellow-ish or grey.

The shirt was a little big but comfortable, and the sweatpants were generous in their adjustability.

“Lunaaaa.” A knock at her door.

“I’m decent.”

Ishikawa popped his head in. “Sleepy yet?”

“Not even a little.”

“Want a snack? I want to show you something.”

She followed him into his room, the biggest bedroom she’d ever seen. His bed could fit a family, and was that a walk-in closet?

Out on the balcony, two plates with matching cups had been set out.

Luna leaned over to look down. The surface was so clear there seemed to be nothing at all between her feet and the world below.

“What a view.” The city looked like a galaxy of glittering constellations, winding shapes made of stars as far as the eye could see, and the raindrops stuck on the underside of the balcony framed the sight like tiny jewels.

“Isn’t it?” Ishikawa took a sip of his drink, and sighed, gazing out at the skyline contentedly. “This is my favourite spot in the whole city.”

“Feels like it could be mine too.” She lifted up her cup, taking in the scent of warm cocoa, and peeked back at the room behind her. It hadn’t occurred to her at first, but this room was sort of like the rest of the house.

Empty.

“Are you always like this?”

He blinked at her. “What do you mean?”

“Alone.”

There were no pictures, no mementoes, nothing in the house that said ‘home’. Every surface and object was spotless and shiny, brand new but not lived in. The pillows in his living room were stiff, not regularly hugged or slept on, and his pristine ivory walls barely had any marks or stains, or much of anything for that matter.

Even his own bedroom felt like a hotel room, just a place to sleep for the night, a shelter from the rain and elements.

Ishikawa was silent. He turned away, facing the city instead. “Is it that obvious?”

“Maybe it’s just me. Lonely knows lonely.”

He looked back at her. He was huddled into a ball, his knees close to his chest. One arm rested on a knee, covering half his face. Only his eyes were visible, staring intently at her, waiting, hoping.

She knew the feeling.

“I’ve been by myself my whole life. Well, I mean with a bunch of kids, but never quite fitting yknow? Even now, I’m just kinda on my own. Could be why being a Free-Lancer doesn’t feel that bad to me, just the same old game with a couple of new rules.”

“Is that…” He paused, his expression scrunching the slightest bit in the space between his eyebrows. “Is that why you hide it? With that glamour?”

Luna fiddled with a lock of her silver hair. “Could be. I’ve actually always been able to do it. It, it kinda came automatically when I was a kid, like the default was the brown hair brown eyes combo. When I got older, I learnt how to switch it off and on.”

“You don’t know why.”

“Nope.” She shook her head, gazing up at the starless night. The rain might have stopped but the sky hadn’t quite cleared up yet. “Might have been my parents, might have been whoever dropped me off at the orphanage. Dunno.”

“Is that why you chose to be…”

“Partly.” She closed her eyes. It didn’t look much different, this darkness and the sky.

“…what’s the other?”

Luna didn’t answer, taking a deep breath. It felt almost inevitable the conversation would reach this point.

It shouldn’t faze her, she had come up with answers for situations like this before:

_ “It’s exciting!” _

_ “Magic is cool!” _

_ “I want a great magical coming-of-age adventure too!” _

However, she’d never considered a situation where she had to tell the truth.

“Luna?” He sounded worried. “You don’t have to tell me, if you don’t want to.”

She laughed. “That’s the thing, isn’t it?” She opened her eyes, letting herself face him as herself. “I do.”

He didn’t say anything, he didn’t do anything. He simply waited, and the words couldn’t spill out faster.

“Can you keep a secret, Ishikawa?”

He nodded solemnly.

She rolled up her right sleeve, inching closer so he could get a better look. At first glance, it appeared to be a tattoo or some kind of mark. To a Citizen, it looked like the mark that symbolised their fealty, with a difference: a single strip of black slashed across the design, as if someone had tried to wipe it out.

Ishikawa’s eyes widened, gaping at the sight. “Is that,” he breathed, “ a Fugitive mark?”

“...yes.”

Fugitive marks were brands for criminals, placed by the Kings themselves. It was a symbol of the most hunted and reviled, and the Kings were known to do anything to catch their marks.

“Green…You’re wanted by the Jade Sultan?”

At least it wasn’t red, he didn’t have to choose between loyalties.

“Seems like it,” she said. “I don’t really know what’s going on. I didn’t even know what this mark meant up until a few months ago when all this began. But it felt like, like I had purpose for the first time.”

She sucked in a breath, feeling tears well up. She rubbed her eyes furiously as she continued.

“I know it’s dangerous. I know it’s stupid, but this, it’s, it’s all I have. I couldn’t just walk away. I had to find out.”

“About your parents?” Ishikawa’s tone was so gentle, so kind, a promise of understanding that made her want to cry even more.

“Where I belong.”

The tears started coming harder then, like a dam had broken inside her.

Ishikawa offered his hand and she grabbed on it like it was an anchor keeping her from being swept up in this torrent of emotions.

She’d never been a very quiet crier, or a dignified one. Her sobs became louder and louder, until they sounded like wails to her ears, and her nose was running alongside all the tears, yet through it all Ishikawa never let go of her hand, never pushed her away or scorned her or scolded her.

Once she had calmed down, he passed her cup to her. Reheated, with fire magic obviously, and she’d taken a long, soothing sip, letting the warmth spread through her veins.

A deep breath. No hiccups, that was good. She was trembling and her nose was still a little snotty, but all in all, manageable.

“Thank you,” she rasped, before clearing her throat. “Thanks, for um, whatever that was. You know I keep imposing on you, you seriously need to tell me if I’m taking things too far, man, like, like––“

“You’re not.” He squeezed her hand. “Not in the least.”

She squinted at him in suspicion. “Are you sure?”

He was handing her tissues now and she gratefully accepted them, blowing her nose, then dabbing her eyes. Then she saw the tissues at his side.

Had he been crying too?

“I’m completely sure,” he said firmly, before his expression became thoughtful. “Hmmm, how do I put this?”

“I’m annoying and I trouble you a lot.”

“Of course not! Luna, stop that, I’m going to get mad if you keep saying things like that.”

“Fineee.”

“What I’m trying to say is that you, you make me feel less alone.”

“Huh?”

“It’s true. Sometimes when I’m up here by myself, it’s like I’m the last person in the world. There’s no one to understand me, no one to help share my pain. Alone as can be. But you, your pain, I know what it’s like, I know how it feels, and to know that someone else in the world understands…”

He glanced at her.

“It feels like you’re not on your own anymore.”

Ishikawa nodded, before giving her a gentle smile. “Thank you, Luna.”

“That’s my line!” She protested. In a calmer tone, she continued, “Thank you, Ishikawa, for everything. You don’t know how much you’ve given me today, and I’m so so grateful for you.”

He gave her hand a big squeeze. “Likewise, and I don’t think you know I feel either.”

“Agree to disagree.”

“Sounds good to me, as long as we stay friends.”

“No amount of disagreeing will get in the way of that, I promise.”

“I’ll hold you to that.”

“Please do.”

Under the night sky, they talked and talked and talked, until the stars came out behind the clouds and the constellations shone as brightly as the city below.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Baby let me take you back to my place so we can profess our deepest darkest secrets and hurts and cry together
> 
> And that's the end of this chapter ^^ Next time, Ishikawa and Luna have breakfast! Also Sonya FINALLY shows up (after slacking off these past 2 chapters >:[ )
> 
> Thanks for sticking around <3


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